By Anabel Martin Llanusa
Christmas is a time of reflection. And for me, I have been reflecting on feminist media. I was thinking about past shows I have watched and how they all represent feminism in their own way. Each show has its own perspective on how women have to struggle in the patriarchal society. It is very interesting how the difference in setting affects women and how they fight against the patriarchy in their own way…
Here is a list of shows which can be found on Netflix:
POSE
This show it’s set in New York during the 1980s. It is about a transgender woman called Blanca who quits her “house” – which is like a selected family- and goes to do her own independent house with other LGBTQ people. The purpose of getting her own house was to win the balls. The balls are divided into categories and the people who get most of the trophies are the final winners. There is a lot of 80s and 90s music, and a lot of different dances. It is a very educational, emotional and entertaining show. The cast is amazing, they all do a spectacular job playing their roles! I would watch it again without a doubt.
Coisa Mais Linda
This show is set in Brazil, more specifically in Rio de Janeiro in the 1960s. Maria Luiza, who is the main character, separates from her husband and moves to Rio in order to open a Bossa Nova Club. There she finds herself some friends, who come from different spectrums. One of them works as an editor in a newspaper, while the other one is a singer but is not able to work since she is in an abusive relationship. Yet, none of these are as important as Maria’s good friend who used to be a handmaid but helped Maria open her club. In this show, we can watch each of these women try to find themselves and be more independent during the 60s.
The House Of Flowers
This is definitely the most modern-Mexican soap opera I have ever watched. The drama that exists in this very dysfunctional family, the secrecy between them, and the LGBTQ themes, makes the show very entertaining. It is a very musical show, and there are a lot of old Latin hits in the show which help enhance the drama of each character, as they all have at least one musical scene. The plot is about how the matriarch of the family who has a prestigious flower shop discovers that her husband has another “House of Flowers”, but a very different one, since it’s a cabaret. It is very funny the interactions between these kids from this very rich couple who are always fighting for their place in the family, but in the end they still love each other.
Grace and Frankie
The very best for last! This is one of the most hilarious shows I have ever seen. It does not need recorded laughs to get you to laugh very hard. It is about two old ladies whose husbands left them so they can marry each other. Astonished, the women discover their husbands have been having an affair for a very long time, and they find each other at almost the end of their “perfect”’ lives together, just to start all over again. The funny thing is how different these women are from each other since Grace is a more high-class character and Frankie is more of a hippy character. Yet, they both end up warming up to each other and becoming friends really quickly.
All these shows are super comforting, feminist, and perfect for the holiday season! I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. Happy binging!